WHAT NEXT IN ANTARCTIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18542, 12 April 1930, Page 9 (Supplement)

WHAT NEXT IN ANTARCTIC

PROBLEMS FOR THE FUTURE. The present Antarctic season is drawing to its close, the temperatures are falling “Down South,” the Ice is closing up, the gales are coming in, and the four expeditions have concluded their season’s work down there, says a writer in the “Sun News-Pic-torial.” Admiral Byrd is home; Mawson and Wilkins are on their way back. Only the movements of the Norwegian expedition, which so dramatically came in contact with the Discovery, remains in doubt, but presumably the Norwegia is already out of the Ice unless it is intended that she should winter in it. Next season promises to be even more fruitful in the Antarctic than the one just ended. Already it is announced that a British expedition will set out from England under Commander Worsley, who was one of Shackleton’s men, and who navigated the boat in which that wonderful ocean volage to Elephant Island was made. The Wawson expedition—although no official announcement has yet been made —will undoubtedly go south next season to complete its work, and the Norwegian whalers, which had a record season this time, are now homeward bound with their rich argosies preparatory to coming south again next year for further cargoes of the valuable whale oil. One further spectacular venture may be noticed—the reported plans of Captain Stenhouse, who proposes to fit out a luxury liner in which he will take passengers down south into the Ross Sea, where they may watch the whalers at work, study penguins and seals, climb the great Ice Barrier, wandet round the slopes of the active volcanoes, Erebus and Terror, and gener* ally see certain phases of the Antarctic. All these various activities point to greater interest being taken in the Antarctic than ever before. Wireless, aeroplanes, large and powerful ships, and other developments of the century have made things possible at which a former generation of explorers would have smiled. In one respect no advance seeems to have been made, and that is in producing a type of motorcar which will travel satisfactorily and at speed over the various snow surfaces to be found on the continent. But already there is talk of further developments in the whale seal, and penguin industries. Australia is now fully alive to the fact that the Norwegians are taking many millions of pounds out of the Antarctic, while we look idly on. Attempts to raise Australian capital for whaling seem to have failed. One of the great difficulties is that the Norwegians are admirably adapted by tradition, heredity, training, and a native skill for the whaling industry. Sir Douglas Mawson suggests that there is another field of wealth to be exploited in the fur-bearing seal, and he has confidence that penguin eggs could be marketed profitably. Finally, there is the question of territorial rights “Down South,” which seems to be becoming acute. At present the United States. Britain, Norway, and France have all laid claims to territory, the boundaries of which are only vaguely specified. It seems inevitable that in the near future there should be some kind of International Conference on these claims, when the various nations will be allotted their particular share. In this conference Australia would have a vital interest. Already other countries have definitely claimed large tracts of territory; New Zealand has a dependency which includes the whole of the Ross Sea, and runs to the very Pole itself; France has claimed Adelie Land; Admiral Byrd, in the name of the United States, has claimed a further tract, and the Norwegians have been busily at work this last season. But the flag of Australia, though it has been many times unfurled on that great continent, has never been planted permanently there; Australia, s‘o far as is known, has never officially laid claim to territory.